ICYMI: Shaquille O'Neal jumps into CGI lake on set, hilariously vanishes behind green screen while discussing major NBA Playoffs highlights from Round 1
Inside The NBA analyst and former champion Shaquille O'Neal was in his element when on Studio J on Thursday. O'Neal and the rest of the Inside guys were shooting an EJ's Neat-O-Stat of the Nights segment, in which they discussed the key highlights of the night.
Three teams saw their campaign come to an end: the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors. With their offseason starting early, the Inside guys poked fun at those teams by using the CGI effect, showing them going on a 'fishing trip'.
O'Neal made things interesting when he decided to jump into the CGI lake and eventually disappear behind the green screen. Here's a clip of this hilarious segment (via House of Highlights):
Shaquille O'Neal gives his take on the 76ers and Suns advancing to the next round
The Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers both advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 4-2 series win over the Pelicans and Raptors, respectively. Shaquille O'Neal gave his inputs on the 76ers and Suns on Inside The NBA.
Speaking about the 76ers advancing to the second round of the 2022 playoffs, Shaq highlighted that Philadelphia needs James Harden to be more consistent.
The 'Big Diesel' believes that Harden's performance will be key for the side as Joel Embiid has been playing at an MVP-caliber level and producing goods in every game. The 'Beard' recorded 22 points and 15 assists to help the 76ers win Game 6 against Toronto by a whopping 132-97 margin.
Meanwhile, Shaquille O'Neal has high hopes for the Phoenix Suns this year. The Suns finished with the best record in the league (64-18) to secure homecourt advantage for the rest of the postseason. Phoenix were in a tricky spot in their first-round against the Pelicans, though.
The series was tied at 2-2 with Devin Booker sustaining a hamstring injury in Game 3. However, Chris Paul took the onus upon himself to lead the Suns to the next round and produced solid performances in Games 5 and 6 to help his side win the tie 4-2. Paul had 33 points and eight assists in the Suns' 115-109 closeout win over New Orleans.
Meanwhile, Booker returned to play 32 minutes in Game 6 to score 13 points. It's a positive sign for the reigning Western Conference champions, and they will be hoping their leading scorer can find his rhythm soon heading into their second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks.
Shaq believes that Phoenix will be 'scary' once Booker is fully healthy and also highlighted Chris Paul's leadership as key to their success moving forward.